Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Glasgow

For one person, living is cheaper in Glasgow: $2,386 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Glasgow
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Glasgow Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,386

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Glasgow

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Glasgow actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,386 in Glasgow.

Austin, TX $2,704
Glasgow $2,386

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,604 in Glasgow.

Austin, TX $4,133
Glasgow $3,604

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $4,823 in Glasgow.

Austin, TX $5,562
Glasgow $4,823

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 13% more expensive than in Glasgow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Glasgow 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$20.99 £15.87

-3.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$73.5 £55.6

15.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.55 £7.98

17.06%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.87 £3.68

12.32%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.13 £1.61

79.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.73 £1.31

44.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$5.19 £3.93

55.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$6.65 £5.03

35.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.64 £1.24

-31.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.56 £1.18

142.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.05 £1.55

58.54%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.80 £2.88

8.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$9.16 £6.93

42.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$9.00 £6.81

59.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$16.75 £12.66

-4.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.99 £2.26

46.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.55 £1.18

-6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.96 £2.24

53.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.13 £2.36

33.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.91 £1.44

37.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.60 £1.21

47.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.14 £0.86

54.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.63 £1.23

32.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$23.66 £17.88

-58.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$11.13 £8.42

32.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.27 £2.48

-14.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.42 £2.59

1.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$4.07 £3.08

-63.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$103 £78.1

-60.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$5.96 £4.51

-55.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.17 £0.89

35.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$60.4 £45.63

-41.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.14 £1.61

-53.74%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.8K $35.8K

$38.5K £29.1K

-7.05%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.2K $27.2K

$40.4K £30.6K

-32.81%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 $219

$309 £233

-28.96%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.0 $58.0

$20.34 £15.38

185.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$41.92 £31.68

63.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$44.96 £33.99

28.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$20.43 £15.45

-27.46%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$15.90 £12.02

-11.13%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,509 $1,509

$897 £678

68.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$21.4K £16.2K

0.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$133 £101

-61.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$46.49 £35.14

-5.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$107 £80.5

-20.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$91.6 £69.3

14.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,345 £1,016

43.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$1,052 £795

20.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$2,713 £2,051

35.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,955 £1,477

29.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$4,008 £3,030

90.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$3,045 £2,302

5.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$3,270 £2,472

56.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.76

42.65%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Glasgow: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Glasgow

$1.1K 43.4% 17.3% $220

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Glasgow

$308 12.7% 23.4% $94

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Glasgow

$313 12.9% 10.1% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Glasgow

$371 15.3% 7.3% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Glasgow

$170 7% 32.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Glasgow

$77 3.2% 10.9% $9.4

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Glasgow

$131 5.4% 131% $74

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,345 in Glasgow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 56% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $74.0 in Glasgow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $308 per month, with Glasgow cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🕒 Local time

01:20 1:20 AM

07:20 7:20 AM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

606,340

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 GBP = 1.32 USD

1 GBP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Glasgow 7,470 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Glasgow

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Glasgow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Glasgow wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Glasgow the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 56% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $1,345 in Glasgow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,386 in Glasgow – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Glasgow runs roughly 155% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,386 in Glasgow versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Glasgow but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Glasgow the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Glasgow delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,386 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Glasgow hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Glasgow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.